U.S. patent application number 09/848378 was filed with the patent office on 2002-11-07 for cd-o-nut adapter for mini compact disks.
Invention is credited to Hulme, Nicola, Karman, Steve.
Application Number | 20020163878 09/848378 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25303100 |
Filed Date | 2002-11-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020163878 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hulme, Nicola ; et
al. |
November 7, 2002 |
CD-O-NUT adapter for mini compact disks
Abstract
A universal adapter for mini compact disks of any shape to
render them acceptable in any disk drive, having a thin, flat,
circular base (10) with a circular hole (14) in the center
encircled by a narrow shelf (12) which supports a mini disk.
Inventors: |
Hulme, Nicola; (Santa
Barbara, CA) ; Karman, Steve; (Los Angeles,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Nicola Hulme
920 E. HALEY STREET
SANTA BARBARA
CA
93103
US
|
Family ID: |
25303100 |
Appl. No.: |
09/848378 |
Filed: |
May 2, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
720/720 ;
G9B/17.006; G9B/23.003 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G11B 23/0317 20130101;
G11B 23/0021 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
369/289 |
International
Class: |
G11B 003/70; G11B
005/84; G11B 007/26 |
Claims
We claim:
1. An adapter for hosting mini compact disks comprising a thin,
flat, circular piece of material having a diameter of 12 cm with a
circular hole in the center having a diameter of approximately 8 cm
with a narrow shelf around circumference of said hole to support
outer edges of a mini compact disk, whereby a mini compact disk can
be accepted by a disk drive.
2. An adapter for hosting mini compact disks comprising a thin,
flat circular piece of material having a diameter of 12 cm with a
means to hold a mini compact disk in the central hole, whereby a
mini compact disk can be accepted by a disk drive.
3. A universal adapter capable of holding a mini disk of an
infinite number of variable shapes within a circular piece of
material having a diameter of approximately 12 cm, whereby a mini
disk can be loaded into a disk drive.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] Not applicable
BACKGROUND
[0002] 1. Field of Invention
[0003] This invention relates to compact disks, specifically to an
adapter for mini compact disks.
BACKGROUND
[0004] 2. Description of Prior Art
[0005] Mini compact disks come in many shapes and forms, including
business card compact disks, shaped mini compact disks, and
circular mini compact disks. The problem is accordingly they are
not compatible with disk drives that only accept 12 cm diameter,
circular compact disks, such as the common front loading disk
drives. In an attempt to solve this problem, Business Replication
& Print, Inc. of Roseville, Calif. have developed an adapter
called a `halo disk`. These adapters are custom made for each
shaped mini compact disk and are therefore only useful for a
specific shape, rendering them expensive to make and having limited
versatility.
SUMMARY
[0006] A universal adapter comprises a circular sheet of flat
material with a means for holding any style of mini compact disk in
the center, thereby making them compatible with any disk
drives.
Objects and Advantages
[0007] Accordingly, several objects and advantages of the invention
are:
[0008] a) to provide the means to use mini compact disks and mini
shaped compact disks in front loading disk drives
[0009] b) to provide a universal adapter which can be used with all
mini compact disks, business card disks, mini shaped compact
disks
[0010] c) to provide a low cost attractive adapter to widen the
appeal of novelty mini compact disks.
[0011] Further objects and advantages are to provide an adapter
that can be used easily and conveniently to hold mini compact disks
without damage to a disk drive or the disk, which is simple to use
and easy to manufacture, which can be used repeatedly. Still
further objects and advantages will become apparent from a
consideration of the ensuing description and drawings.
DRAWING FIGURES
[0012] In the drawings closely related figures have the same number
but different alphabetical suffixes.
[0013] FIGS. 1A and 1B show top and underside views of our
adapter.
[0014] FIGS. 2A and 2B show side views of our adapter including a
mini compact disk.
[0015] FIGS. 3A and 3B show perspective views of our adapter also
including a mini compact disk.
[0016] FIGS. 4A and 4B are perspective views of our adapter showing
layers and a mini compact disk.
REFERENCE NUMERALS IN DRAWINGS
[0017] 10 base of adapter
[0018] 12 shelf
[0019] 14 hole
[0020] 16 top layer
[0021] 18 bottom layer
DESCRIPTION-FIGS. 1-3-PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0022] A preferred embodiment of the adapter of the present
invention is illustrated in FIG. 1A (top view), FIG. 1B (underside
view). The adapter has a base 10 of 0.15 cm thickness consisting of
a flat, non-magnetic sheet of material such that it can withstand
repeated use in a disk drive. Said base 10 has a predetermined
parameter of 12.0 cm. In the preferred embodiment, the base is
constructed of polycarbonate with a lacquer layer and a label
laminated on top surface. However, the base can consist of any
other non-magnetic material that is strong enough to support a mini
compact disk in a disk drive. A narrow shelf 12 encircles a central
hole 14 in base 10, with a diameter of 8.0 cm, which is the width
of a mini compact disk. A mini compact disk can be placed from
above on shelf 12 (FIGS. 2A and 2B) to be supported by base 10 of
the adapter. FIGS. 3A and 3B show how a mini compact disk lies in
hole 14 supported by shelf 12.
FIGS. 4A-4C-ALTERNATIVE EMBODIMENT
[0023] There are various possibilities with regard to the
manufacture of the adapter. FIG. 4A shows an exploded view with a
top layer 16 and a bottom layer 18. Layer 16 has a central hole 14
with a diameter of 8.0cm. Layer 18 has a central hole with a
smaller diameter. Thus when the layers are adhered together, layer
18 protrudes to create shelf 12 (FIG. 4B). A mini disk fits into
hole 14 to lie flush with the surface of the adapter (FIG. 4C).
Operation-FIGS. 1-4
[0024] To use the adapter a mini compact disk is placed
horizontally in the center of base 10 where it is supported by
shelf 12. The mini compact disk is then held in place by the edges
of hole 14 and can be safely inserted into a front loading disk
drive. The mini compact disk lies flush with base 10 and is
therefore accepted by the disk drive as a standard 12 cm diameter
compact disk. The hole 14 in base 10 allows the mini compact disk
to be scanned from the bottom.
Conclusion, Ramifications, and Scope
[0025] Accordingly, the reader will see that the adapter of this
invention can be used to make mini compact disks more appealing to
the end user by allowing them to be used in any type of disk drive
where previously they could only be used in tray disk drives. The
adapter works equally well with shaped mini compact disks as the
shelf can support any protruding edges. The adapter can also be
made with a `clicking` device to hold the mini compact disk in
place, rather than using a shelf.
[0026] Although the description above contains many specifications,
these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the
invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the
presently preferred embodiments of this invention. For example, the
adapter can be made of alternative materials; it can also be made
within a limited range of thicknesses. Thus the scope of the
invention should be determined by the appended claims and their
legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.
* * * * *